The TikTok account @movesfinancial highlighted a Reddit post uploaded by user @prevalancee that appears to indicate that Uber was keeping the majority of surge profits during rush periods where throngs of customers were looking for drivers.
They highlighted a recent Blink-182 show at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York as an example, stating that despite seeing cab rides for folks in the Long Island area going for $200+ per ride from the UBS arena to Manhattan, which was around five times the regular rate for rides, the extra Surge fare being offered to drivers was only $3.25.
@movesfinancial Surge fees vs Surge pay #uberdriverlife #doordashdriver #dashertips #doordasher #doordashlife #gigworkertips #doordashdrivertips #lyftdriverlife #ridesharedriver #ubereatsdriver #ubereatsdriverslife #instacartshopper ♬ original sound – Moves
The redditor wrote in their post: ” All of Long Island had a max of 3.25$ surge. Blink 182 played at an arena here, pinged me 40+ minutes away… 3.25$ surge Check Uber app and prices were 200$+ to go from UBS Arena to Manhattan, a nearly 5x rate….3.25$ surge. Absolutely disgusting.”
Judging from the comments section from other Uber drivers who responded to @Prevalencee’s post, it would seem that this same thing happened to them as well: “Yes EDC in Las Vegas this weekend, pings coming in non stop, pax getting charged up the wazoo, and biggest surge was $1 way off the strip.”
The same user went on to say that they were so miffed by the experience that they “logged off and went home.” And went on to decry the ride-hailing application’s pricing structure: “Fuck Uber and their fucking games. Real smart to keep fucking drivers. It’s just going to force more jurisdictions to regulate the shit out of them. On the other hand, anyone who isn’t brand new and drove last night for $20 to sit in over an hour of traffic deserves what they got. The stupid people kept Uber alive last night, otherwise it should have been nearly impossible to get a ride.”
TikTokers who responded to @movesfinancial’s post didn’t seem too shocked by the news, like one commenter who sarcastically wrote: “Uber screwing drivers?!?! I’m shocked!!!“
Someone else said that it would appear Uber drivers found workarounds to earn more money while still connecting to drivers who used the application which was giving tourists their phone numbers to call them to book rides for half of the prices Uber was offering. They remarked that the Uber drivers still ended up making double the amount of money than they would get off of Uber’s cut: “our Uber driver in Vegas just gave us his phone number… [we] called him from then on and done all our rides for half price and he earned double.”
This was a tactic that another user on the platform seemed familiar with as well: “That’s when you cancel the ride and ask for a Venmo” as well as another driver who wrote: “Cancel the ride give me $100 and I got you”
Another commenter seemed baffled by the fact that despite these pricing measures, Uber is still not able to turn a profit: “and Uber STILL not making a profit”
There was one user who wrote that they thought surge pricing was a problem due to a change Uber made previously to its surge grid system: “I knew it was it was sketchy since they removed the surge multiplier grid off the Uber driver app many years ago.”
One TikToker also gave insight into the amount of money that they, as a driver who was providing their own vehicle, which they maintain, and fill with gas compared to what Uber was pulling in per ride: “I paid 200$ to leave a city during new years once….the driver said he was only getting 60$”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Uber via email and @prevalancee via Reddit DM for further information.
